Friday, May 7, 2010

Memories and questions - and a link to some fabulous Mother's Day crafts

I did this layout for the latest Color room challenge (and it's late) and for ScrapGal - one of our manus of the month is Jenni Bowlin. I made the flower from a piece of silk chiffon from a vintage scarf that is somewhat shattered (have you ever heard of shattered silk - it is when an old piece of silk literally shreds -the threads just break). The center of the flower is a vintage cufflink and the locket up in corner is also vintage. I used a transparency (really loving them lately) and some other bits and pieces from my leftovers bin.
the journaling reads - Old photographs keep their SECRETS. No one alive today knows who these children were. (Actually I do know who they were as the names are written on the backs and I knew 2 of the people when I was a child (grandmother and grandfather) but once I am gone, no one will know who they were except as names.)

As I said, the layout is late for the deadline - I just can't create like an automaton - weekly challenge sites are just too much for me - I read the challenge and see the great DT work but life intervenes and if I can get one or two done maybe, that's it - and I also think rushing through layouts is sort of pointless - what's the hurry? How many layouts are enough? How many layouts did you create last year or have created so far this year? William Morris wrote "if you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it. Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe that is beautiful." He wrote that as a reaction to the crass commercialism and consumerism of the Victorian age in England - I think it is very appropriate for our world today - there is just so much stuff in the stores, in our houses, and in our lives - and for what, we certainly aren't any happier with all of it. I recently went through my older layouts and divided them into piles - those that I loved, either very meaningful to me or very beautiful, those I thought would mean something for Brian, and those in which I saw little redeeming value - those were taken apart, photos and some components saved, and the remainder trashed. I probably reduced my layouts by half.

Anyway, I don't have the answer - I guess the most important things are to record memories and to create things that you love.

One of my design team jobs ends this month and I have some thoughts about DT jobs. Being on a kit design team has been very good for me as it forces me to be more resourceful and step outside my little box in order to showcase products that I probably would not have selected on my own - and the really really cool thing is that I have discovered some fabulous products and some super color combos that I will continue to use even after my DT term is over. So, all in all, I would recommend applying for DT jobs for anyone who loves to scrap - not only will you receive some fantastic product, you will work with some incredibly talented and super nice designers, and your own designing skills will blossom.

Thanks for reading my thoughts and I would love to know what you think. I have to work this afternoon at the book store - we are so low on volunteers at both the book store and the gift shop (we are especially low at the gift shop and may have to cut the hours that we are open) that some of us are working extra shifts. All of the profits from the book store and gift shop are donated to our county library, and unfortunately we won't be able to donate as much this year as last (and last year was less than the year before). Florida has some major budget problems, and funds for libraries were cut this past year and will take a monster hit in the next fiscal year. In the past, our donations paid for things like online services but this year we have to use the money for books as the library has no funds for new books. They will have to close earlier and one of the libraries is not open on the weekend at all because there are not enough funds to pay workers. So sad......

Hope you have a wonderful weekend - do you have any special plans for Mother's Day? My son is driving over tomorrow afternoon and is taking us to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. Then he will drive home on Sunday. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful young man as my son - he is a very special person and very loved. And be sure to check out http://www.craftcritique.com/2010/05/mothers-day-blog-carnival.html for some fabulous Mother's Day craft ideas - my Mother's Day is on the list!!!!

14 comments:

I just love your layout Chris! I hear so much about the Color Room lately..have to check that site out ;)I love your flowers and that design is beautiful!No special plans on Mothersday...Levi made something at school and I always love those gifts.Of course we visit our moms too...but we don't make all that fuzz about it.Hope you have a wonderful time with your son!Enjoy!

This lay-out Chris is so beautiful. I adored your journaling. You are so right about the forgotten lives of old pictures. I am on a mission this year to really find the stories of my family and get it written down. Have you watched Who do you think you are? On Nbc. So inspiring. Truly shows how each life before does make us who we are in so many ways.

Ah the Dt thing. I don't try out anymore. I could barely keep up with the creative type ,so my dt try -out days are over. And the rejection thing just got to be too much for me. I am just so sensitive:) My new thing is really getting in on the teaching part. Locally or maybe on-line. We'll see...

PS thank you for your wonderful comment the other day! Your the Best Chris!!!!

What a gorgeous LO, love that vintage look and that flower is so beautiful!!I know what you are saying, I'm having trouble to keep up with all the challenges as well, I would love to design for a kitclub!!! Recently I rediscovered my sewingmachine (I did a lot of sewing years ago) and I love to make myself a skirt again, but I just can't find the time!!:(I love your idea of cleaning up your LO's, they are everyehere here as well!!!

Hope you will enjoy mothersday, it's always a bit difficult for me not being able to visit my mom anymore!! This year I want to bring roses to her fave pleace at a beach nearby, and after that we will visit Pete's mom!!!

I agree...I also was on a weekly DT and it was too much. I felt like I was cranking out projects that did not represent who I was. I stepped back from scrapping after that and took a LONG break.Then I came back and hopped on the ScrapGal DT and it has been nice to have my own monthly pace...i can do monthly...lolI hope you have a fabulous weekend!!!!!=)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Chris. I think its essential to be true to yourself and create YOUR art. I had a sculptor boyfriend a long time ago. He was commissioned to do a bronze. He needed the money. It was such a struggle for him, that he almost gave up the thing he loved most, creating. I've never felt extreme but I do "hit a wall" sometimes. So thanks again for sharing and have a wonderful time with your son on Mother's Day.

That is a gorgeous page. I have beautiful old photos, but no idea who the people are in them, or what their lives were like. That's one reason I keep scrapbooking, so future generations can know about the people who were here before them.

My reason for scrapping is for telling the story. Occasionally I will have to re-scrap an already-scrapped photo OR make a page to satisfy a DT challenge, but MOST of the time, I'm making the product I have, work with the stories I need to tell. I don't want to ever veer too far from that or I've missed the whole point. I keep my obligations to a manageable/minimum amount. I would never want to hurry up & make something, just to make it. I'm a somewhat slow scrapper because I LOVE the process. It's calming for me. I'm right there with ya on all this, Chris!

I love love love love love that lo...loving that flower and those photos...i have numerous photos like that...but sadly...really....no one in my family knows who they are....anywho..I think I still want to scrap them...as I am reminded of a lo i saw once that did just that! :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):) I have always scrapped for me...no matter what...the challenges, dt's i do...i don't know...i guess i am lucky as i have never done a lo that i didn't want to do or feel that i was 'forced' to create....i don't have to do every STM...but I do...because I can always find a lyric that fits what I WANT to scrap....with FAVE THINGS...I don't always chose what is MY fave thing...sometimes I chose what is Brookie's fave thing.... anywho...those are my thoughts :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

I think alike about scrapping needs time Chris... I too can't scrap "like a machine". I never did. I don't think I have much layouts that I would tear apart (or maybe from the very early beginning). I can only be on one DT team now (since I have a major job with my own workshops) to give the products and layouts full attention, and I think every layout deserves that. I'm not a DTmember now, but you know I submitted... hope it will turn out good! Have a happy weekend Chris, and a lovely mothersday (yes, we have it here too!)

My husbands father has a box of old pictures he got from his father.....It is sad because every picture in the box has a well kept secret... no name on the back and nobody in the family knows who it is.I want the box so bad....I want to know who they are. it is our childrens family history....lost in time.

I LOVE your layot... your flower the old cuff link. You know I love vinatge. You are a true inspiration. Love you, Hugs.....Oh and Chris say the word and we can get together.... you are not that far away.... I promise I will be the world traveler and personally meet all the ladies on our team....I am going to visit Lisa in June. So excited...

Love that layout so much...the flower is gorgeous! You always do such fabulous work. And I totally agree...for me it isn't so much about quantity of layouts I do, but it's the meaning and the quality of the stories on the ones I do. I have found out recently what I want to concentrate on and it makes me so much happier in creating! And as long as we do these pages for us and our families, then that's what matters:) Love this post!!! Love, JessOh, also sooo sad about the libraries.. I heard in CHarlotte they are thinking of closing down some libraries, which is crazy b/c NC could be doing something more to keep them open. Like our education lottery which is supposed to be going toward education(AND ISN"T)...they could use that money toward teachers and libraries and schools, but that doesn't matter as much for some reason and it sickens me!

i agree with deana on this too. scrap at your own pace, so keep obligations to where you can handle them. i've got tons of obligations, but it totally works for me, and i LOVE it! yes, it has become a job, but i LOVE it. i wouldn't have it any other way.